NASA Gears Up for International SWOT Mission Launch, Know All About Water Survey Expedition And Where to Watch Live Streaming
The mission is eyeing the liftoff at 6:46 am EST on Thursday. The package will be sent to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
New York, December 13: NASA is gearing up for the launch of its much-hyped Surface Water and Ocean Topography, or SWOT mission. Scheduled to launch on December 15 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the SWOT mission is an Earth-orbiting mission that will map the planet’s surface water resources better than ever before. SWOT will help to measure the effects of climate change on the planet's water, such as the processes by which small, swirling ocean currents absorb excess heat, moisture, and gases like carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The mission is eyeing the liftoff at 6:46 am EST on Thursday. The package will be shot to space on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SWOT Mission: Satellite for Tracking Earth's Surface Water to be Launched in 2022.
Watch Live Streaming Here:
What Is SWOT Mission?
In a collaborative effort between NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) – with contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency, the mission will survey water on more than 90% of the planet’s surface, scanning the planet between 78°N latitude and 78°S latitude within 1 centimeter of accuracy and retracing the same path every 21 days. Artemis 1 Mission: NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Safely Returns From Moon, Parachutes Into Pacific Near Mexico (Watch Video).
Achieving this level of accuracy from a spacecraft height of 554 miles (891 kilometers) requires that the boom using radar to measure water elevation remain stable within 2 microns – or about 3% of the thickness of a human hair.
Where to Watch it Live?
The live coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities will be provided by NASA. Live launch coverage will begin at 6 am EST (4:30 pm IST) on NASA Television, YouTube, Twitter, the NASA app, and the NASA website - nasa.gov, with prelaunch and science briefings beginning Tuesday, December 13.
The SUV-size satellite will collect data on the height of the Earth's salt and fresh water -- including oceans, lakes, and rivers -- enabling researchers to track the volume and location of water around the world.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2022 05:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).